‘Habemus Papam’: Australian Catholics welcome Pope Leo XIV

The bells of St Peter’s Basilica rang out across Rome on the evening of 8 May, signalling to the world that the Catholic Church has a new shepherd. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, the Chicago-born prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and a longtime missionary in Peru, emerged onto the central balcony of St Peter’s as Pope Leo XIV, the 267th successor of St Peter.

At 6.07pm Rome time (2.07am AEST), white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney, drawing thousands more into St Peter’s Square, where crowds had already gathered for the smoke watch. Just over an hour later, the Church’s protodeacon, French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, stepped onto the balcony and proclaimed, ‘Habemus Papam’.

Leo XIV appeared moments later, dressed in white, and offered his first apostolic greeting: ‘Peace be with all of you.’

In his Urbi et Orbi address, the new pope echoed the peace of the Risen Christ. ‘This is the peace of the Risen Christ, a disarmed peace and a disarming peace, humble and persevering. It comes from God, God who loves us all unconditionally.’

I am a son of St Augustine, an Augustinian, who said, ‘For you I am a bishop, with you, I am a Christian.’

He paid tribute to his predecessor, Pope Francis, whose voice, he said, still resonates with the faithful. ‘We still retain in our ears that weak but always courageous voice of Pope Francis blessing Rome!’ he said. ‘Let me follow up on that same blessing: God loves us, God loves you all, and evil will not prevail!’

Taking the name Leo XIV, the new pontiff situates himself in a lineage of reformers and bridge-builders. As the first pope from the Augustinian Order, he affirmed, ‘I am a son of St Augustine, an Augustinian, who said, “For you I am a bishop, with you, I am a Christian.” In this sense we can all walk together toward that homeland that God has prepared.’

His remarks were warmly received by Catholics around the world, including here in Australia.

A message of joy and unity

Archbishop Peter A Comensoli of Melbourne released a statement on 9 May, offering congratulations on behalf of the local Church.

‘With profound joy, I extend heartfelt congratulations to our newly elected Holy Father, and Bishop of Rome, Pope Leo XIV,’ Archbishop Comensoli wrote. ‘On behalf of the clergy, religious, and faithful of our local Church here in Melbourne, I offer heartfelt prayers for His Holiness as he assumes the great responsibility of Successor to Saint Peter.’

We give thanks to God for the gift of his leadership at this pivotal moment in the life of God’s people.

He continued, ‘May the Holy Spirit guide him with wisdom, courage, compassion and strength as he shepherds the universal Church in truth and charity. We entrust his petrine ministry to the loving intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, loving Mother of the Church, and to St Augustine—and give thanks to God for the gift of his leadership at this pivotal moment in the life of God’s people.’

Archbishop Comensoli concluded with the tradition blessing, ‘Ad multos annos [may you have many years], Holy Father!’

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) also welcomed the new pope with ‘heartfelt congratulations’, expressing both hope and confidence in his leadership.

‘This represents a momentous event in the life of the Catholic Church, the wider community of Christian believers and, in many respects, the whole world,’ said Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, President of the ACBC.

‘Cardinal Prevost brought to his most recent role as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops an approachability and willingness to listen which were no doubt developed throughout his many years as an Augustinian missionary in Peru.’

Archbishop Costelloe noted the new pope’s capacity to connect across cultures and continents. ‘He will be warmly welcomed by the Church in Latin America, as Pope Francis was, by the Church in the United States from where he comes, from the English-speaking world as a native English speaker, and from the whole Church as a man of God steeped in the rich spirituality of his Augustinian Religious Order.’

He added, ‘As Pope Leo XIV, our new pope will bring the benefit of his wide experience to the many challenges and opportunities before him.’

‘A Church that builds bridges’

The Pope’s first address was one of unity, missionary zeal and humble service. Speaking to the faithful gathered in Rome and watching across the globe, he called for renewed solidarity and spiritual courage.

‘We are disciples of Christ. Christ goes before us,’ he said. ‘The world needs His light. Humanity needs Him as the bridge to be reached by God and his love.’

We must seek together how to be a missionary Church, a Church that builds bridges, dialogue.

He called on the Church to be a place of welcome and dialogue: ‘We must seek together how to be a missionary Church, a Church that builds bridges, dialogue, always open to receive, like this square, with open arms.’

Leo XIV’s pastoral tone echoed themes often heard from Pope Francis: synodality, peace and the call to go to the margins. He urged the Church to walk closely with those who suffer, and reminded the world that ‘God loves us all … and evil will not prevail!’

Switching briefly to Spanish, he addressed the faithful in Peru, where he had served for more than two decades, directing his gratitude to ‘my dear Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, where a faithful people have accompanied their bishop, shared their faith and have given so much, so much to continue to be a faithful Church of Jesus Christ’.

The new pope concluded with a prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary, acknowledging the feast of Our Lady of Pompeii, observed on 8 May. ‘Let us pray together for this new mission, for the whole Church, for peace in the world,’ he said, before leading the square in an ‘Ave Maria’.

An experienced servant-leader

Pope Leo XIV brings decades of missionary, pastoral and curial experience to the papacy. A native of Chicago, he joined the Augustinian Order in 1977 and spent more than 20 years serving in Peru, first as a missionary and later as bishop of Chiclayo. He holds both US and Peruvian citizenship, making him both the first American and first Peruvian pope. He was appointed prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in 2023 and played a key role in shaping episcopal leadership globally.

As prefect, he stressed the importance of humble and relational leadership in bishops, rejecting clericalism and isolation. ‘The authority we have is to serve, to accompany priests, to be pastors and teachers,’ he said in a 2023 interview.

Leo XIV is known for his thoughtful discernment, multilingual fluency—he speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese and can read Latin and German—and ability to work across cultural and theological lines, traits that many believe will serve the Church well in this new chapter.

God loves us all … and evil will not prevail.

His choice of the name Leo XIV appears to pay tribute to Pope Leo XIII, one of the most influential pontiffs of the modern era. Pope Leo XIII, remembered as the father of modern Catholic Social Teaching, issued the landmark 1891 encyclical Rerum novarum, which addressed the dignity of work, the rights of labourers and the moral responsibilities of employers. By adopting this papal name, Pope Leo XIV signals a commitment to continuing the Church’s active engagement with the social and economic challenges of the modern world, rooted in the tradition of reasoned faith and justice championed by his namesake.

Archbishop Costelloe and ACBC Vice President Bishop Greg Bennet have indicated they will travel to Rome for the installation Mass, representing the Australian Church.